June 17th, 2025: Don't have a Cow, Man!

• Brush: Chisel & Hound "Spice Lily" - TurnNShave Tuxedo 26mm Synthetic $ALLNATURAL
• Razor: Gillette - Rocket HD $RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Razor: Gillette - Super Speed Black Tip
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue (1)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Grave Fruit - Soap
• Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - Cubebe - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling - Glacial Unscented - Balm
• Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - Crangère - EdP

$discord

Theme: All of my software for today's shave is vegan. SW gave a great lather as always, I'm grateful to own a few tubs of their soap.

Challenge: For today's shave, I compared my Gillette Super Speed Black Tip with my English-made Gillette Rocket HD. I used the Rocket HD on the right side of my face and the Black Tip on the left. Three passes on either side, and both razors had a new Personna Lab Blue blade.

Tag justifications:

$ALLNATURAL - My C&H handle has an ivory ferrule.

$RUSTYBUTTRUSTY - My Rocket HD was visible plating wear and patina.

These two razors have basically the same (brass) head. However, my Black Tip's handle is made out of aluminum and plastic, while the HD's is plated brass, so the main difference between the two is weight and balance. Overall, I got a closer and more comfortable shave today with the Rocket HD. The greater weight, and in particular the heavier handle, both give the razor a more confident feel. That said, both razors performed very well.

$SELFCARE - Today I went for a run before work, took a full hour for lunch, and spent some quiet time reading a book and hanging with our cats. It can often feel hard to find time to carve out for myself during the day, but I'm always glad when I do.

$FOF - Grave Fruit is a complex scent. The notes I could find list Yuzu, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Cedar, Green Mango, Vetiver, Freesia, Aldehydes, Ho Wood, Sandalwood, Elemi, Frankincense, Pear, Costus Root, and Sambac. 15 scent notes! I would say that I mostly pick up on the grapefruit, bergamot, and pear while using this. Cubebe brought a nice light floral note that helped to soften the citrus, and Crangere finished the progression with a sharp shock of cranberry that quickly fades into a warm, woody fougere.

I expected these scents to work well together, but was surprised by just how well they meshed. I'll have to revisit this another day.

$ROTY

June 17, 2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co Strawberry Cream 26mm G5A #SHD
• Razor: C.V. Heljestrand MK 31 11/16" Söderfors Extra Specialstål Full Hollow
• Razor: Filarmonica 13 Novodur 13/16" Para Profesionales Full Hollow
• Lather: Subtle Art Soap Co. - Citrus Bay Rum - Soap
• Post Shave: Subtle Art Soap Co. - Citrus Bay Rum - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Coconut - Toner

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

Though sold out, the knot in this brush is still listed as a SHD knot.

I don't see a lot of Subtle Art Soap on the sub. This is a very nice vegan artisan soap with a nice family of scents. This Citrus Bay Rum is bright bay rum, not lacking in scent strength.

Ingredients: Distilled Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, RSPO Palm Oil (Elaeis Guineensis Oil), Potassium Hydroxide, Kokum Butter (Garcinia Indica Seed Butter), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit Butter), Fragrance/Essential Oil (Parfum), Vegetable Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Mango Butter (Mangifera Indica Seed Butter), Kaolin Clay

The daily challenge was very convenient. The two razors that I used today are on my "refresh" list. Today was an opportunity to try both in order to see if a refresh was needed. I used the MK-31 for the first pass and the Fili for the second pass. These are both full hollow razors with great steel, though the MK-31 is a bit stiffer. Neither razor really needs a refresh but I'll probably update both of them.

June 17th, 2025: Don't have a Cow, Man!

• Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger and Omega - 10077 Boar
• Razor: Blackland - Blackbird and Van Der Hagen - Traditional Safety Razor
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Azure - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - 322 - Aftershave

Daily Theme Justification: I ASKED THE SPONSOR AND ARTISAN HIMSELF IF PREMIUM BASE IS VEGAN AND HE SAID YES.

Daily Theme: This has been said before and I will say it again. If you have not tried u/C_Bubbles Premium Base, you need to. It really does go to show that tallow is not the defining factor in making a great soap. There are shitty vegan and shitty tallow soaps. There are great vegan and great tallow bases. Please do not fall prey to the idea that vegan automatically means a lesser product.

Daily Challenge: There will be three parts to this challenge. If you are reading this, it is extremely likely you have a fair amount of different wetshaving gear and I want to explore if more money spent is better.

Inexpensive vs. Expensive Brushes: First up is the C&H badger brush versus the cheap Omega boar brush. I've always had sort of a love/hate with badger knots. A really good knot will be super plush and soft like this Fanchurian, but a lot of the times I have difficulty with lathering, as I did today. Load, load, load, and load some more, but right before you think you're done, you'll need to load some more. Once you do get the soap loaded, a lot of the times I experience lather that is good, but not as good as I know it can be. In comes the Omega boar brush. Yes, they are cheap, light, and can literally stink like a pig's asshole. But I have never had issues with it picking up soap. Sure, they can eat lather when new, but that almost always subsides and the knot softens as well. This knot released the lather way better than the badger, which is normal in my experience. Which one is better? Neither, it is totally up to preference, but if I was forced to choose between these two, I'd honestly enjoy using the Omega more.

Inexpensive vs. Expensive Razors: This Van Der Hagen DE was my first safety razor and this Blackbird was one of my more recent razor purchases. One is chintzy, cheap, and mild. The other is precise, heirloom-esque, and aggressive. Two opposite sides of the razor spectrum. The VDH has hardly any blade feel, while the Blackbird is very blade forward and needs a careful touch. Again, which one is better? blah blah... preferences... blah blah. I enjoy milder razors more and I will move on from this section.

Light vs. Dark Software: Azure has been described as a "barbershop in the sky". Airy, light, and somewhat reminiscent of the blue barbershop style scent. 322 has been described as a wine cellar with a bottle smashed in the corner. Both conceptually opposite and in literal terms. I just recently learned from the man himself that the specialty extract of labdanum in Azure smells resinous and has amber like qualities. The 322 scent smells very dark and dank with the slightest hint of fruitiness from the black currant. Applying the 322 splash grounds you into something darker after just having your head in the sky during the shave. The Yin and Yang of Catie's Bubbles software.

17.06.2025

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Silksmoke Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Perma-Sharp half DE
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Navigator
• Post-Shave: HAGS - Apocalypse ASB

-> 2-pass head shave, a very thorough and smooth one also. Technically it was still Tuesday while I started my shave, but it's Wednesday now for me - gotta love time zones and late night shaves?

So, after using The Rambler yesterday, I thought I might try my other ZM soap today: The Navigator is a smooth, creamy aquatic with a very nice artwork on the tub (including little metallic details). The lather for the second pass was a bit thin, but still useable. I seem to have a bit of a problem with "skin food shaving soaps", as in: I tend to underload them. Anyways, this was quite refreshing after a hot day - Apocalypse goes into the aquatic territory too, albeit a bit more like AdG/Cool Water, so it paired nicely.

Today was just another Tuesday. Low effort studying, picking up the new silicone mats for my car + installing them, putting some car protection bumpers made from EVA in my garage, grocery shopping. Oh, and picking up the mail: Whoever shares a few letters in their first name with me, your Chicago Grooming - Irving Park sample has arrived and it smells gorgeous. Thanks! I was worried that I wouldn't have time to participate, but thankfully July BVWSC is on one of the last days of my vacation time after the practical exam. Woohoo!

June 17th, 2025: Vegan

• Brush: L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
• Razor: Captured Ring Woodwork 34C Clone - Mahogany Handle
• Blade: Personna P74 (87)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Roam Two - Soap
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Wood Shop - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps - Wood Shop - EdP

Theme justification: Roam Two is in the Vegan Omnibus base. Ingredients are Aqua, Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Potassium Palmate, Potassium Kokum Butterate, Sodium Stearate, Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid, Cocos nucifera Fruit Juice (Coconut Milk), Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) Butter, Tetrasodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Theobroma grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Butter, Sodium Kokum Butterate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Cocoate, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Sodium Cocoate, Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow Root) Extract, Ulmus rubra (Slippery Elm) Extract.

This razor was a Father's Day gift from my lovely wife, who somehow doesn't realize that I don't need any more razors.... Still! It's a nice one! I was a little apprehensive at first due to the "Etsy" nature of it, but it's made in the town we live in, and shaves great. The threads are somehow really super smooth and nice, but I'm certain it's a zamak razor. It must be. Anyway, the handle is made of Mahogany (or something in the same family) which is very resistant to water damage. People even make decks out of it.

Roam Two is incredible, and so is Wood Shop. Everything clicked for this shave and I'm lovin' it.

Don't have a Cow, Man!: Day 17 of Lather Games

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Tabak Oridjinal, now with 28 mm Gelousy knot
• Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8" full hollow, Spanish tip, stainless steel
• Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8" full hollow, Spanish tip, carbon steel
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original – vegan base
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

Theme justification: This is the vegan base. My gratitude to the Lather Games Planning Committee Theme Planning Subcommittee (LGPCThPS) for allowing for an on-theme Tabac Tuesday this year ♥.

Challenge: So, a while back, when I was new to the straight razor rabbit hole, I got very interested in the pros and cons of stainless steel in straight razors when compared to the classic carbon steel. The advantages are obvious, but surely there must be a downside since almost all modern makers still prefer carbon steel? Well, if and when you find one, let me know. I dove deep into the Friodur rabbit hole and they are fantastic razors, from the earliest one that predates the patent on stainless steel to the ones made in the late 1980s they are just great. I also have a great stainless Dovo (that seems to be luck of the draw, as there are a few comments floating around the interwebs suggesting serious QA and QC issues). So I started to wonder, how do I really know whether I'm liking the steel or just the geometry? Cue, Ralf Aust to the rescue: He is a rare maker of modern straight razors who makes both carbon steel and stainless steel razors, so I ordered the same razor in two variants: once in carbon steel, once stainless.

The funny part is that I can't tell them apart, even after 13 shaves on the original edge so far. They look, feel and shave the same and I have no idea which is which. Ralf Aust's stainless steel is magnetic, so that doesn't work to distinguish them. I weighed them, and one is about a gram heavier than the other, which might indicate it's stainless steel which has a higher density and should result in a heavier razor for a given geometry, but these are handmade so I can't really know for sure that the weight difference is from a variation in the thickness for instance, or from the heavier material.

As long as the two feel the same, it doesn't really matter, I guess, but once I feel a difference (which I hope I will at some point. They can't also have the same edge retention, can they?) I guess I'll have to smear some vinegar on the tails to see which one rusts. Silly, but at least I'll finally have certainty :D